Silver medal winner for Adventure Historical Fiction 2024 from Historical Novel Society

Be careful with what you inherit...

For fans of Poldark comes a thrilling tale of betrayal and loss, love and revenge, daring and triumph, set against the frontier oil city of nineteenth century Baku.

Anton knew something was wrong the moment he stepped ashore …

The ancient city of Baku, 1890. Anton Sabroski has come home. But the once-beautiful mansion on the shores of the Caspian Sea is silent and dark, a decaying relic in a bustling city. Upstairs, his father lies dying, his business empire in ruins, his friends gone, his only bequests to his son a jewelled Faberge egg containing a coded message and the care of Klara, a mysterious, hostile girl.

Unable to accept that his father was responsible for the loss of his family’s fortunes, Anton begins to investigate. But Baku is a city of many faces and even old friends are not always what they seem. And what of Klara - infuriating, intriguing Klara - who is as at home in a back street opium den as she is in a grand drawing room?

But when Anton is brutally attacked by oil spies, he realises that if he’s to survive he will have to place his trust in his enigmatic new houseguest …

The Main Players:

A runaway determined to make her own choices
1890 Baku is a dangerous place for a runaway girl fleeing from the secrets of her past. Klara Darkova dreams of a life where she can protect those she loves and make her own choices. But her trackers are getting closer. How long can she survive before she is caught and the truth is revealed?

A bankrupt oil baron who inherits a fabulous jewel
Anton Sabroski, son of a bankrupt Russian oil baron, honours his promises. The secret documents he carries from the Orient will be delivered, whatever the cost. And the cost will be high - more than he ever thought possible. His only hope is to trust the most unlikely of characters and gamble with an exquisite, jewelled egg.

A city flooded with oil
Baku 1890. A wild, frontier city on the edge of the Russian Empire. The discovery of oil has brought great wealth, but at a price. Against the facade of splendid oil baron mansions, rich palaces and innovative discoveries, lurks violence, intrigue and murder.

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